Nobody Is Slowing Down This Miami Marlins Star Right Now
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After a hot start to the season, the Miami Marlins have cooled off a bit at the plate and on the mound. Since the calendar rolled over to May, the franchise has secured two wins, most recently in a walk-off effort against the Baltimore Orioles.
As the season continues, the Marlins need to have players who continue to step up, mixed in with players who have been hot right out of the gates. No one has been hotter in the Miami lineup than shortstop Otto Lopez, as he's been tearing the cover off the baseball over the last week.
Otto is Mashing in May
Ranking third across Major League Baseball in batting average with a .340 entering another series at loanDepot Park, Lopez has been the game-changer for the organization with the bat in his hands.
It was widely known that Lopez was a plus hitter at the plate. Since arriving in Miami, the shortstop holds a .268 average at the plate in three seasons. Not to mention, Lopez has also been hitting for power, while not a lot, it's power that this Marlins offense needs.
Since the beginning of May, Lopez has hit .414 at the plate with a .586 SLG and an OPS of 1.000 with one home run, four RBIs, 12 hits, two doubles, and two strikeouts. Lopez hasn't walked much over the last week and rarely has on the season, but he doesn't have to with the contact he has at the plate.
The combination of Lopez and Xavier Edwards being the contact hitters at the plate helps the Marlins out more than some would think. Getting on base in this day and age of baseball is extremely difficult, but those two make it look easy.
His 50 hits on the season lead the MLB, which could come into play as the summer months roll around, especially with the All-Star Game being something that has alluded him throughout his career. He's going to have to hit for more power to get some extra votes.
Defensively, Lopez hasn't been stellar, which impacts how he gets looked at in the game. He's committed seven errors at shortstop and holds a .937 fielding percentage. On the season, the Marlins rank near the bottom of Major League Baseball with a .980 fielding percentage.
If Miami wants to close in on the NL East standings, chasing down the Atlanta Braves, defense will need to improve, on top of Lopez and others finding success at the plate.
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Dominic Minchella is a 2024 Eastern Michigan University graduate with a BA in Communications, Media, and Theatre Arts and a Journalism minor. He covers Major League Baseball for On SI and spends his free time watching games and sharing his insights.